Several nights ago in Leawood, Kansas, a police officer on patrol spotted a small dog standing in the roadway. The dog still had its leash attached, but there was no owner anywhere in sight.
Body-camera footage from the encounter shows the dog barking repeatedly as the officer approaches. Instead of simply wandering away, the dog starts moving down the street, and the officer decides to follow.
About half a block later, the dog turns into a driveway and heads toward a home with its garage door open. Another, larger dog is there too, barking as the officer approaches.
“Hi guys, is this where you live?” the officer can be heard asking.
Then someone answers from inside the garage.
The homeowner was on the floor and unable to get up. According to the Leawood Police Department, they had been there for more than three hours.
Medical personnel were called to the home, and police later confirmed that the resident was safely back home and recovering.
What makes the bodycam footage remarkable is how quickly the encounter changes. The officer initially has no way of knowing why the dog is standing alone in the road. He simply notices the leash, sees that something seems unusual and decides to follow.
When the Leawood Police Department shared the footage, it summed up the encounter simply: “Sometimes, our four-legged friends know exactly what to do.”
The department also made a point of recognizing the officer for taking the time to investigate instead of assuming the dog had simply wandered away.
“While the dogs certainly deserve the attention, we also want to recognize our officer for taking the extra time to investigate the situation,” Leawood Police Capt. Jason Ahring told the Johnson County Post. “That extra effort made a difference and led to a positive outcome.”
Sources: Leawood Police Department and Johnson County Post.
